"Live" From the Jewel of the Seas 01-08-06

[JaneStarr]

Bob,

 

My only experience with Cybercabin was the New Years sailing of Jewel OTS last year. My brother had it for his laptop in his suite. I*think* it was like $100 for unlimited access for the 7 day cruise. Anyway, it was so slow that neither of us used it much.

This year, on Brilliance, even the ship's computer terminals seemed faster than Jewel's cybercabin. I don't know if there's a "scientific" explanation for this. I don't think cybercabin "buys you" any wireless or ship's terminal minutes, but I could be mistaken. Honestly, even RCCL Guest Relations ee who was really trying to be helpful couldn't give me a definitive answer to those sorts of questions. I do know that my "package minutes" showed up no mater whether I logged in on RCCL terminals or via my wireless.

 

Here are a couple of cautions:

1). Be careful not to accidentally close the Royal-wifi page or you will have trouble logging out (as your minutes add up). My brother learned this the hard way. If you do have a problem logging out, turn off the WIFI on your computer (if you can). Best to figure out how to do this at home, when you are not being charged by the minute.

(With my Sony, it is just a button that slides on-off on the front left-hand edge of the computer.)

 

2).Make sure you have Guest Relations give you a printout of your charges periodically. I had some extra internet charges show up. Once I pointed them out, GR asked if I was "sure this is incorrect" and then they removed the extra ~$17 in non-package charges. The explanation was something about everybody being charged 33 cents/min during "Happy Hour" even if they have a package plan, but I couldn't get an understandable explanation about that. I'm sure the royal-wifi connection deducted the minutes from my package. {{{shrug}}} I'm usually pretty good at figuring out those kinds of "bargains". Anyway, as my DH says, "Isn't *every* hour Happy Hour when cruising?"

 

Your best bet may be to just compose updates "offline" and use wireless connection in "spurts" to "cut & paste" updates onto message board (or your flash drive at Internet Cafes if they let you use them -- I have no experience there). This method was definitely "doable", but I don't think I'd attempt sending any large photo files that way. My "problem" was that I hadn't set up a proper address book for my Comcast Webmail, so I had to keep cutting and pasting from my Outlook address book. In the future, I'll take care of this at home.

 

Jane

[Radio]

Does Jewel still have the Onion rings/burgers/reubens...type menu for Sea View cafe or did they change to the (disappointing) Pizza and Pasta only menu that we had on 23 Dec. 06 sailing of sister ship, Brilliance?

 

Jane

 

No Pizza or Pasta in the Seaview Cafe ! !

 

Radio

;) ;)

[Radio]

Jane,

 

Thank you. I am hoping that we can buy the $50 package and get a connection for the cabin. We would do very simple stuff there and maybe compose some things on the laptop before going to the WiFi area for faster access. If the cabin connection is not an option, then we will likely do most of our connection via the wifi route on the ship.

 

I was thinking that I would compose and copy to the flash drive for when we are in port and I can get to an internet cafe.

 

We find the "Live from...." threads to be very interesting, even if it is not a ship we plan to sail on soon. Since we enjoy them, we feel like we ought to pay back by doing one on our own (which we did last year and enjoyed).

 

 

Hi Bob....

 

No package for Cybercabin...Only one set price for unlimited use for this cruise it would have been 80.00 (6 nights) For my Bermuda Cruise (5 nights) it was 70.00. For a 1 week cruise the price is 100.00.

 

Wi-Fi is the only way to go..... It is much much faster that Cybercabin....Cybercabin will only be good for email...not posting large jpg's to cruise Critic....

 

 

Radio

;) ;)

[JaneStarr]

No Pizza or Pasta in the Seaview Cafe ! !

 

Radio

;) ;)

 

Phew!!!

 

Here's hoping that they keep the menu the way it is.

 

I wonder why Brilliance's Seaview had a different menu? Hope they weren't just "testing the waters" (pun intended).

 

Jane

[Radio]

Here are a few oics from Grand Cayman today...

 

Lots more pics tomorrow....There are many more now on my Cruise Photo Page...Click below

 

Radio

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conquest, Jewel, and Radiance L/R

 

 

 

Senor Frogs

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Radio]

Here's a couple More..

 

Radio

;) ;)

 

Full tender

 

 

Heading Back to the Jewel of the Seas

 

 

 

 

 

We are Back !

 

 

 

.

[Radio]

Hello everyone...Today is Saturday and we have only one day left. Here's some answers about internet...that have come up...

 

The Prepaid Packages are available at either the Internet Café or Wi-Fi. The Packages are 150 min for 50.00, 90 min for 35.00 or 60 min for 25.00.

You can rent a Wi-Fi card for10.00 per day or 50.00 per voyage. Insurance is 2.00 per day. Kids can access through the Adventure Ocean Lounge(Fuel) at .50 per minute

The Captain also stated at the Crown and Anchor party that RCI had plans to build another class of ship of over 250, 000 tons (?) He said that it is rumored through “those that know” that the plans are in place for this vessel.

The best production show that I have seen took place last night with “City of Dreams” This show is a “Must See” There are many Flying sequences, with martial arts, and great music and costumes. The flying “FOY” sequences are incredible!

Today will have lots of activities including the Diamond Repeaters party, Coral theatre backstage tour, Cooking Demo, Towel Folding Demo, Closest to the Pin at the Jewel Fairway, Captains Corner, Juggling Class, and many, many others….

We should be close enough to the Florida Keys by 11 tonight to have cell phone signal once again. There was no Verizon Wireless signal yesterday in Grand Cayman, however…many passengers had a signal with their service.

The casino has not been very nice to me lately….A lot of passengers were winning though. RCI has a new COMP club now, it is called the Blue Chip Club, where you insert your Sea Pass card into the machine, and gain points on the amount of play. You can get prizes for increase play including Bar Drinks, Free Alternative Dining, Free Internet, free T-shirts, Sweatshirts any many other prizes, You are updated with your point total whenever you insert your card….

[Radio]

Hi Garry... There is no Satellte lounge at this time...Several Suite guest have been seen sitting outside of the Concierge Lounge in the Centrum, but it has not been that crowded.

 

Radio

 

I spoke with the Concierge last night, and he said that they sometimes use the Hollywood Oddysey Lounge (Deck 13) when there are many Diamond Passengers. This trip there are only 50 of us,,,but there are sometimes over 100. When required, the Hollywood Oddysey changes to the Concierge Club from 5-8:30PM

 

He said that this cruise is an easy one for him...because many Diamond passengers never use the club...

 

Radio

 

;) ;)

[Radio]

Here are a few pics of the Public Areas...

 

Radio

 

Centrum

 

 

 

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Solarium

 

 

 

 

 

Jewel day Spa Thermal Suite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Radio]

Radio: Thanks for all the great pictures and commentary on the Jewel. We will be getting on as you get off. I was wondering if you could check the TV remote and tell me if there is a sleep timer function on it. I think it is just wonderful that you have taken the time from your vacation to keep all of us posted with this wonderful information. Do you know if the Seaview Cafe will be open the day we board? I much prefer having my meals served to me rather than standing on line for them. To me, that's a big part of the meaning of the word vacation. Thanks for all your help and enjoy the balance of your cruise.

 

There is a sleep timer on the remote with different settings. The Seaview Cafe is open from 10 PM- 2AM on the first day.

 

Radio

;) ;)

[Lou_70]

Radio

 

First of all from one Marylander to another.. ( I also lived up by Belair for a bit, now southern Maryland), I wanted to say thank you very much

 

A quick question that you do not have to rush to answer, cause I am leaving right now to go on my cruise on Voyager :)

 

I noticed the tender from Grand Cayman had Jewel of the Seas on the back of it..

 

Is this tender somehow part of the ship? Is it attached somewhere and lowered? or do they just change the name on the back for each ship that comes in for that specific day?

 

Thanks :)

[tarps14]

Radio

 

First of all from one Marylander to another.. ( I also lived up by Belair for a bit, now southern Maryland), I wanted to say thank you very much

 

A quick question that you do not have to rush to answer, cause I am leaving right now to go on my cruise on Voyager :)

 

I noticed the tender from Grand Cayman had Jewel of the Seas on the back of it..

 

Is this tender somehow part of the ship? Is it attached somewhere and lowered? or do they just change the name on the back for each ship that comes in for that specific day?

 

Thanks :)

 

I think I can answer that question. They often use the life boats as tenders if there are many ships in a certain port that day. Grand Cayman is one of the busier ports and tends to have several (as in 6-8) ships in at any one time. There is a limited number of tenders on the island so ships use life boats for this purpose.

[spammie]

Radio, thank you so much for taking the time to share your cruise with us. The pictures and details are great! Just curious since hubby "can't" drink his coffe without half and half, where did you finally find it and did you request the carafe and just keep it in your frig.? Wanda

[tomko2]

Radio, thank you so much; the pictures and information were so welcomed. I had just read the news about the change of menu at the Seaview Cafe on BOS and was delighted to hear it had NOT changed on Jewel.

You have so whetted our appetite to get on board and start enjoying that beautiful ship -- we board the Jewel tomorrow!

(We have D1 corner aft so I will take pictures and post them after the trip.)

Thanks again for the fabulous onboard review.

Happy Cruising

Kathy

[negc]

Thanks again Radio for great posts and terrific pictures of one of our favorite ships. We did the transatlantic on her last year and a cruise to Bermuda and the Caribbean out of Boston, and will be doing her repositioning from Boston to FLL next October. While we love all the Radiance class ships, Jewel seems special. The crepes in the Solarium were to die for.

Incidentally, at least for now, the Blue Chip Club in the Jewel casino is unique to the ship and hasn't been introduced to any of the other ships. We managed to earn a few Tshirts and cocktails by using our card while making our daily donations and it eased the pain of loss somewhat.;) Actually, we made out pretty well on the slots overall.

 

Sorry your cruise is nearly over, but I hope you booked another one while on board - makes leaving a little less stressful.:)

Hope we get to sail with you some time.

[cruizeblues]

:) I just wanted to say thanks for another informative & enjoyable review! I love your "Live" reports, and I'm so glad that you sailed on the Jewel this time! We have sailed twice on the Adventure and once on the Mariner and had a great time on both ships (although we REALLY loved the Adventure!) My problem is that I want to try the Radiance class--either the Jewel or the Serenade--but my husband wants to stick to the Voyager class. He thinks that he will be disappointed with a smaller ship-- How can I convince him that we should try "downsizing?" Also, I see from your picture page that you have sailed on Princess--I would love your opinion on how Princess compares to RCI as I have considered trying them out.

Thanks again for taking the time from your vacation to share with us!:)

[Radio]

Radio, thank you so much for taking the time to share your cruise with us. The pictures and details are great! Just curious since hubby "can't" drink his coffe without half and half, where did you finally find it and did you request the carafe and just keep it in your frig.? Wanda

 

if you order a small carafe of coffee via Room Service...You can just use that ( After rinsing of course)....and fill it up in the Windjammer where there ia a large dispenser of Half and Half at the drink station....

 

Radio

;) ;)

[Radio]

:) I just wanted to say thanks for another informative & enjoyable review! I love your "Live" reports, and I'm so glad that you sailed on the Jewel this time! We have sailed twice on the Adventure and once on the Mariner and had a great time on both ships (although we REALLY loved the Adventure!) My problem is that I want to try the Radiance class--either the Jewel or the Serenade--but my husband wants to stick to the Voyager class. He thinks that he will be disappointed with a smaller ship-- How can I convince him that we should try "downsizing?" Also, I see from your picture page that you have sailed on Princess--I would love your opinion on how Princess compares to RCI as I have considered trying them out.

Thanks again for taking the time from your vacation to share with us!:)

 

It doesn' t seem smaller to me...there is no Royale Promenade or Ice rink...But has most other feature on board...and even some that Voyager does not have....like Rotating Bar in Vortex, Sliding Board in Aft Pool, The BEST Solarium of any Ship!, Seview Cafe, Outdoor Winjammer Veranda etc...

 

I loved Princess but Mrs "Radio" did not..I Loved the Grand Princess and would love to sail Princess again....My kids loved it too !

 

Radio

;) ;)

[matt690]

Thanks for everythign radio? What is this rotating bar?

[negc]

Thanks for everythign radio? What is this rotating bar?

The circular bar in the Vortex (disco in the Viking Crown Lounge) rotates slowly in the evening.

I concur with Radio in that the size difference between the Voyager Class and Radiance Class is more evident when you see the ships side by side than when you are on one or the other. The lack of the Royal Promenade and the Ice Skating Rink are, IMHO, more than made up for by the gorgeous Solarium with its retractable roof and the Jewel's great crepes, the Seaview Cafe, the outdoor section of the Windjammer Cafe, the ocean views from the concierge lounge, the Safari Club and the Sports Bar and nearby Cinema. I also much prefer the location of the Schooner Bar on Radiance class ships to their location on Voyager class ships (though I will grant you that the smoke in Schooner Bar can be troublesome to those who must travel through it to get to the Safari Club or to Portofino and Chops.)

[Radio]

We are about 20 miles from Key West....so no signal yet. Here are a more pics....I will offer my final thoughts tomorrow. I have signed up for express walk off...So I should be getting to the terminal at about 8AM..

 

I will drive up to Sanford, FL to catch the AutoTrain...that leaves by 4PM.

 

I should be able to post from the train...

 

Time to Pack !!

 

Thanks for tuning in !

 

Radio

 

Tides Dining Room

 

 

Casino Royale

 

 

 

Mid Ship Stack

 

 

Sunny Day at Sea

 

 

L to R Sports Court/ Rock Wall/ Kids Pool and Slide

 

 

 

 

.

[Nano]

Once again, you've entertained us all week! Thanks so much!

 

You mentioned Mrs. Radio's preferences, but not your childrens'. Which ship do they like best?

 

Just trying to decide between Mariner and Jewel....

 

Thanks again!

[MzItaly79]

Thanks so much for your live reports and great pictures. I really enjoyed looking at all the pics on your site. I will be leaving late april for my very first cruise on the majesty, can't wait. hope one day to make it on the jewel as well - it looks gorgeous! :)

[rubrrick]

Wow...........taking so much time out of your vacation to keep us informed, especially with pictures, is awesome...........THANKS!!

 

Our countdown clock is getting closer to a 2 digit figure, and Radio

thank you for allowing us into your life for parts of a wonderful week in my life.

 

Rick

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for taking the time out of you vacation to post the great photos along with the information. The ship looks great.